Azapo praises Bikos role in SA democracy

Steve Biko’s philosophy of Black Consciousness paved the way for democracy. That’s the view of AZAPO president Strike Thokoane. He was speaking at during the 40th anniversary month of Steve Biko’s death.

Thokoane says Steve Biko was a visionary. His philosophy of Black Consciousness led to the advent of democracy in 1994.

AZAPO president, Strike Thokoane says “The spirit that put this country where it is up to 1994 was the spirit of black consciousness. It was the guns of Mkhonto we Sizwe, I sometimes call them Mkhonto we Sinkwa.”

Thokoane predicted the ANC will lose its majority in 2019.

Thokoane started his address with a detailed account of the days leading to the death of Black Consciousness Movement founder Steve Biko in 1977. Thokoane says Biko was a visionary whose philosophy led to the advent of democracy in 1994 – and for which he died.

“We must go and preach the message that says Steve died so that we can be free. He was surrounded by the security police and he easily could have said to them whatever it is that you want, you will get. But because he believed in the philosophy. He believed that the revolution is something that must be sacrificed and died for, he died. Mandela says it is something for which I’m prepared to die, Steve died.”

Thokoane has also criticised the role the ANC’s Umkhonto We Sizwe played in the struggle for liberation, saying it is over-rated. He says apartheid was defeated by young people who were united by Biko’s Black Consciousness ideology – and not the guns provided by the ANC’s military wing.

“The spirit that put this country where it is, that is up to 94, was the spirit of black consciousness. It was not the guns of Umkhonto We Sizwe. Not even a single policeman, black or white, a soldier, was killed by the guns of MK. We went out very emotional, pushed by the spirit of black power.”

Thokoane has also urged South Africans to stop believing that President Jacob Zuma is the root cause of the country’s current problems. Instead, Thokoane says the ANC should be held accountable for the state of the country in particularly when it comes to corruption.

“The problem of our country is not Zuma. The problem of our country is ANC. It is the leadership of the ANC and the leadership of the ANC in the provinces, and the leadership of the ANC in the municipalities and the leadership of the ANC in the branches. They have all been corrupted and they have all jumped into the philosophy of self enrichment (said in sotho). They need black consciousness because when you have black consciousness you won’t do corruption.”

Thokoane has urged young people in AZAPO to mobilise so that the party’s presence can be felt even more, as a build up to the 2019 general elections.